The Goldsbury Foundation announced its contribution of $20 million to the renovation of Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. This is the most consistent donation in the history of Christus Santa Rosa Health System. The sum will be paid out over the next five years.

The Goldsbury Foundation announced its contribution of $20 million to the renovation of Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. This is the most consistent donation in the history of Christus Santa Rosa Health System. The sum will be paid out over the next five years.

“We strongly believe this would be the best place for the sickest child,” Suzanne Mead Feldmann, the foundation’s executive director, reported to My San Antonio. “We believe mission rather than margin means you end up taking care of the most important thing, and that is our children. We think it makes a lot of sense to take a facility that exists and repurpose it to be a first-class, Tier 1 children’s hospital.”

The generous gift will allow the nonprofit healthcare system to redirect some of its $135 million scheduled for the hospital toward other uses. The donation will also help Christus keep up with improvements being pursued by other area hospitals. The Methodist Children’s Hospital, for instance, is investing $10 million from the Methodist Healthcare System in upgrades, while Vanguard Health Systems and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia are constructing a new pediatric hospital within the South Texas Medical Center.

“We have tracked this issue for a long time,” added Feldmann about the multiple children’s hospital projects. “We believe (Christus’ hospital) is the right project.” The money will be used to build exterior gardens that include a play area for children, a healing garden, family-center amenities, and health and wellness initiatives. An entrance on North San Saba and a two-story lobby are also part of the architectural plan.

Goldsbury Foundation is a private family foundation that was established by Christopher “Kit” Goldsbury after he sold his billion-dollar Pace Foods Ltd. to the Campbell Soup Co. in the early ‘90s. It has a history of working with Christus Santa Rosa.

The design phase of Children’s Hospital of San Antonio is complete, and construction is scheduled to begin late this summer. The project is expected to be completed in late 2014.